That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has been to one of the mystery writers’ conferences and experienced firsthand how nice they can be.

For the most part, mystery writers are very engaging with their readers, taking the time to talk with them, sign their books, or just have a good discussion.

And, for the most part, mystery writers are pretty generous with each other—promoting another’s work to a fan, praising another author during a panel, or just enjoying each other’s company at the bar or over a meal.

For me, it is just business as usual. I expect no less from mystery writers. Of course, there are a few who are not so nice, but that is their problem.

A few days ago, a friend went with me to the 20th anniversary of Murder on the Beach, the mystery bookstore in Delray Beach, Florida.

The bookstore is in the circulation area of the Sun Sentinel newspaper, for which I freelance book reviews. Often, my reviews refer to an author who will appear at Murder on the Beach.